Whale Watchers Encounter Creepy 'Blood Worm' In California
NDTV
Despite its frightening appearance, the blood worm poses no threat to humans but can deliver a sting-like bite if touched.
A blood-red sea creature that resembled something out of a horror film frightened whale watchers in California. The peculiar finding was made in Monterey and went viral after being posted on Instagram.
The whale watchers described the creature as something "right out of the Twilight Zone." "We found it just hanging out on our dock this morning, and we gently scooped it up with some cardboard and carefully put it back in the water," one of the whale watchers told the New York Post.
Identified as a blood worm, the creature's body is covered in rows of hair-like appendages that make it look like something out of a horror video game. The name "blood worm" refers to an invertebrate that burrows and has translucent skin that reveals red bodily fluids.